Health, Longevity & Biohacking
Type 2A Muscle Fibers Begin Atrophying in Your 30s and 40s
Peter Attia Drive
Building strength and muscle mass: optimize training & nutrition for longevity (AMA #71 rebroadcast)
"One of the most interesting things that Andy talked about is that one of the most, and I don't remember if he even described as the sine qua non of aging, but certainly one of the hallmarks of aging is the atrophy of the type 2a muscle fiber. The fibers that are most responsible for explosiveness are the ones that start to atrophy when we are already quite young in our 30s and 40s."
Attia explains that the fast-twitch Type 2A muscle fibers responsible for explosive power begin deteriorating decades earlier than most people realize, starting in the 30s and 40s. This means power is the first physical capacity lost with aging, followed by strength, then muscle size. The finding suggests middle-aged individuals should prioritize power training much earlier than conventional wisdom suggests.
From this episode
Peter Attia Drive